1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a tuning device and particularly relates to a tuning device that facilitates checking a pitch of each sound.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional tuning device (e.g. Patent Literature 1) is known to have a pitch name display, which displays a pitch name, and an auxiliary display, which displays pitch deviation of a sound to be tuned (i.e. input sound), as an object of the tuning, relative to the pitch name displayed by the pitch name display.
FIG. 7A is a schematic diagram illustrating a form of a chromatic tuner display 100, as disclosed in Patent Literature 1. The chromatic tuner display 100, depicted in FIG. 7A, includes a pitch name display 120 and an auxiliary display 121 located on an upper side of the pitch name display 120, wherein the pitch name display 120 has twelve indicators 120a-120l (Note: l is displayed in cursive in the figure) that are linearly arranged corresponding to twelve pitch names, apart by an octave, respectively. Further, FIG. 7B is a schematic diagram illustrating another form of the chromatic tuner display 100 disclosed in Patent Literature 1. The chromatic tuner display 100 of FIG. 7B also includes a pitch name display 120 and an auxiliary display 121, but the twelve indicators 120a-120l of the pitch name display 120 are circularly arranged and the auxiliary display 121 is located on an inner side of the pitch name display 120.
The chromatic tuner display 100 of FIGS. 7A-7B lights one of the indicators 120a-120l which corresponds to the pitch name (i.e. reference pitch name) that is the target for matching pitches (i.e. for performing tuning) and lights the auxiliary display 121 according to a relative difference between the pitch of the sound to be tuned and the pitch (i.e. reference pitch) of the reference pitch name. More specifically, a central display position 121a of the auxiliary display 121 is lighted when it is determined that the pitch of the sound to be tuned is within a tolerance range of pitch deviation based on the reference pitch and matched thereto (tuning is completed, or called an in-tune state). The auxiliary display 121 includes several display positions arranged along a right direction (i.e. arrow-A direction) from the display position 121a and several display positions arranged along a left direction (i.e. arrow-B direction). In the case that the pitch of the sound to be tuned deviates higher than the reference pitch, the display positions on the right side of the display position 121a are lighted in turn, starting from the display position adjacent to the display position 121a to the display position 121b, as the degree of deviation increases. If the display position 121b is lighted, it indicates that the deviation of the pitch of the sound to be tuned relative to the reference pitch is +50 cent. Likewise, in the case that the pitch of the sound to be tuned is lower than the reference pitch, the display positions on the left side of the display position 121a are lighted in turn, starting from the display position adjacent to the display position 121a to the display position 121c, as the degree of deviation increases. If the display position 121c is lighted, it indicates that the deviation of the pitch of the sound to be tuned relative to the reference pitch is −50 cent. Accordingly, the auxiliary display 121 can display the deviation of the pitch of the sound to be tuned relative to the reference pitch discretely in a range of ±50 cent. In addition to the above, a needle-type display has also been used as an auxiliary display, which includes a needle that swings right and left continuously in the range from −50 cent (left end) to +50 cent (right end) to indicate the deviation of the pitch of the sound to be tuned relative to the reference pitch of the reference pitch name.
According to the conventional tuning device, the pitch name displayed by the pitch name display is switched to one new pitch name whose reference pitch is closest to the pitch of the sound to be tuned. And, at the same time, the performer reads the auxiliary display (i.e. pitch deviation display) to learn the degree of deviation of the pitch of the sound to be tuned (e.g. voice of the performer or sound output by the performer, etc.) relative to the reference pitch of the new pitch name. For example, in the case of using a needle-type pitch deviation display as the auxiliary display, the pitch of the sound to be tuned is higher than the reference pitch when the needle swings to the right, and the pitch of the sound to be tuned is lower than the reference pitch when the needle swings to the left. Moreover, if the needle swings to a large extent, it indicates that the degree of pitch deviation of the sound to be tuned relative to the reference pitch is large. The performer may look at the needle of the auxiliary display while practicing to control the production method of the sound at each pitch, in order to maintain the needle in the center, that is, to sing or play the instrument on the right pitch. For instance, in the case that the needle swings to the right, the performer may lower the pitch of his/her voice or the sound he/she plays in order to maintain the needle at the central position. If the needle swings to the left, the performer may, on the contrary, raise the voice/sound to maintain the needle at the central position.